Seeking Tori
by Dimitar
Summary: Missing scene from "Terror on Cupcake Street". Bori friendship.


**A.N. Happy New Year to everybody. FF is messing with me today.**

Seeking Tori

Beck couldn't believe that Tori was out there alone. Didn't they understand how dangerous was out there. He and André had barely managed to get back in one peace.

"Did you try and stop her?" He asked exasperatedly the four who have been there. He was looking mainly at Jade; she should have been the most responsible.

"In a way..." Jade tried to be vague. Beck knew that vagueness. It meant that Jade had done something even she knew was wrong.

"What did you do?" André asked, but Beck could already guess the answer.

"I opened the door." Just as he suspected. He just looked up and sighed. And what was he supposed to do now? As much as he didn't want to go out there, he just couldn't leave Tori to wander alone in that neighborhood. Jade was looking at him carefully, waiting for the customary scolding she got every time she was "mean" to his precious Vega. Instead she saw him get that determined look that meant he was about to do something stupid and no one was going to stop him.

"Stop thinking what you're thinking. You are not going out there to look for Vega!" He could hear anger and may be even fear in Jade's voice.

"I have to, she might be in trouble. You saw how dangerous is out there." He gave her a reproaching look. Why was it so hard for her to understand that he couldn't leave a friend in trouble? He never could understand the animosity she felt for Tori.

"What if something happens to you?" She finally admitted her deeper fear. It was seldom when she had to worry about his safety. Usually her biggest worries were the countless girls throwing themselves at him.

"Don't worry, I'll be very careful." His face softened and he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Beck carefully opened the door of the cupcake float got out on the street. It was dark, only the few working streetlights provided some illumination. Looking around the deserted street he headed in the opposite direction to the one he and André had come. He slowly skirted the strange man eating a rat. Since keeping a low profile seemed a safer choice, Beck kept to the relative cover provided by the heaps of thrash lining the street and covering half of the sidewalks. Gripping the tire iron in his hand and trying not to get distracted by the strange noises of the dark street, he looked for any sign of Tori. On the way he met a homeless woman who looked at his candy pajamas and burst in an almost manic cackle. He hurried past her and continued his search. After almost half a mile he saw a group of people standing around fire lit in a barrel. He approached it slowly. The group consisted of three tough looking guys and a smaller figure he couldn't quite make out, because the others obscured it. When the tough looking white guy moved the light of the fire fell on the forth figure, making Beck gasp. It was Tori. He gripped the tire iron tighter, feeling the adrenalin rushing through his veins, preparing to charge the guys and help Tori escape. Before he could do that, Tori spotted him and waved.

"Hay Beck, I'm glad I found you. I was beginning to worry about you and André." Her voice seemed relaxed and carefree. Beck reacted fast and just as Tori's three companions were turning to him he relaxed the hand gripping the tire iron and waved at her with the other.

"We ran into a bit of trouble and had to hurry back to the cupcake float." He explained approaching her. "Who are your new friends?" Beck gestured towards the three guys around her. They were giving him a measuring looks.

"These are Jim, Bob and Kevin." Tori introduced her companions. Jim looked like a biker, Bob like he was in a gang and Kevin just looked shady. But when Beck looked at them closely he couldn't find any malice in them. "They agreed to help us with our tire."

"Pleased to meet you guys. It's very nice of you to help." Relaxed by her word and his observations he reached out and shook hands with these new acquaintances.

"No problem, we were bored anyway." Kevin, who seemed to be the most talkative of the group, replied. "Tori here said you have a flat tire."

"Yes, and we don't have a spare." Beck felt somewhat embarrassed admitting that. In hindsight building a parade float with a group of people in which the only one familiar with automobiles was he, may be wasn't such a good idea. There was a reason why auto shop was the class with worst scores in Hollywood Arts.

"My cousin has an auto shop. He might have a spare lying around." Jim offered to them.

"I'm afraid we don't have any money with us right now." Tori replied apologetically.

"Don't worry, you seem like trustworthy kids." Kevin calmed them with a dismissive wave of his hand. "And his cousin didn't exactly pay for the tire." The three burst out in laughter. Tori, involuntarily startled by the loud noise, grabbed Beck's hand. He smiled at her and reassuringly squeezed her hand. It felt so gentle and warm in his palm.

"How long have you two been together?" Bob's gruff voice asked. Beck tried to answer, but Tori beat him to it.

"No, no we are just friends." She quickly pulled her hand from his. Beck tried to ignore the slight disappointment he felt at the speed of her denial.

"You kids wait here with Jim, me and Bob well go get the spare tire." Kevin and Bob left, leaving them in the company of Jim who didn't seem to be very talkative.

"Tori, why did you go looking for me and André? You could have gotten into a lot of trouble, or worse gotten hurt." Beck tried to keep his voice calm, but Tori could hear the worry in it. "We ran in some kind of a gang and they chased us all the way back to the float." Seeing the sudden worry in her eyes he quickly assured her that they both were alright.

"Sikowitz was gone; you and André were running late. Someone had to get help, so I did it." Tori tried to explain. Beck sighed and thought that someday her desire to help out is going to get her in a lot of trouble.

"It was very brave of you, and very stupid." He took her hand and shook it slightly. "I was scared for you." His last words were accompanied by a small smile.

"I thought nothing scares you." Tori joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"I don't get scared for myself, but I do get scared for the people I care about." They continued talking about this and that until Bob and Kevin came back with the spare tire. Soon they were all back at the stranded parade float.


End file.
